THE MANCHESTER HISTORIC READER. Division I. FROM THE INVASION OF JULIUS CESAR TO THE DEATH OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY CONTRASTED. [Abridged from some remarks on History and Biography in the prose writings of John Dryden, who is chiefly known as a poet and dramatic author. He was born at Aldwinkle, in Northamp tonshire, in August, 1631, and died May 1, 1700. He was buried in Westminster. He held the offices of poet laureate and royal historiographer from 1668 to 1688. His principal plays are "The Wild Gallant," "The Rival Ladies," and "The Indian Emperor;" and his principal prose work an "Essay on Dramatic Poetry.' He was successful as a satirist, having written in this vein "Absalom and Achitophel," "The Medal," and "Mac Flecknoe." Among his other poems "The Hind and the Panther" and "Religio Laici" may be specially mentioned. He also produced metrical translations of the Eneid of Virgil and the Satires of Juvenal and Persius.] To commend History is unnecessary, for the profits and pleasure of that study are so very obvious that a quick reader will be beforehand with me and imagine faster than I can write. For my own part, who must confess it to my shame that I never read anything but for pleasure, it has always been the most delightful entertainment of my life; but they who have employed the study of it, as they ought, for their instruction, for the regulation of their private manners, and the management of public affairs, must agree with me that it is the most pleasant school of wisdom. It is a familiarity with past ages and an acquaintance with all the heroes of them; it is, if you will pardon the similitude, a prospective glass carrying your soul to a vast distance, and taking in the furthest objects of antiquity. It informs the understanding by the memory; it helps us to judge of what will happen, by showing us the like revolutions of former times. For mankind being the same in all ages, agitated by the same passions, and moved to action by the same interests, nothing can come to pass but that some precedent of the like nature has already been produced; so that, having the causes before our eyes, we cannot be deceived in the effects, if we have but judgment enough to draw the parallel. God, it is true, with his divine providence overrules and guides all actions to the secret ends He has ordained for them; but in the way of human causes, a wise man may easily discern that there is a natural connection betwixt them; and though he cannot foresee accidents or things that possibly can come, he may apply examples, and by them foretell that from the like counsels will probably succeed the like events; and thereby, in all concernments and all offices of life, be instructed in the two main points on which depend our happiness-that is, what to avoid and what to choose. The laws of history, in general, are truth of matter, method, and clearness of expression. The first propriety is necessary to keep our understanding from the impositions of falsehood; for history is an argument framed from many particular examples or inductions. If these examples are not true, then those measures of life which we take from them will be false, and deceive us in their consequence. The second is grounded on the former; for if the method be confused, if the words or expressions of thought are anyway obscure, then the ideas which we receive must be imperfect; and if such, we are not taught by them what to elect or what to shun. Truth, therefore, is required as the foundation of history to inform us-disposition and perspicuity as the manner to inform us plainly one is the being, the other the well-being of it. History is principally divided into these three species commentaries or annals; history, properly so called; and biography, or the lives of particular men. Commentaries or annals are, as I may so call them, naked history, or the plain relation of matter of fact, according to the succession of time, divested of all other ornaments. The springs and motives of action are not here sought, unless they offer themselves and are open to every man's discernment. The method is the most natural that can be imagined, depending only on the observation of months and years, and drawing in the order of them whatsoever happened worthy of relation. The style is easy, simple, unforced, and unadorned with the pomp of figures; counsels, guesses, politic observations, sentences, and orations are avoided in few words, a bare narration is its business. Of this kind the "Commentaries" of Cæsar are certainly the most admirable, and after this the "Annals" of Tacitus may have place. : History, properly so called, may be described by the addition of those parts which are not required to annals, and therefore there is little further to be said concerning it, only that dignity and gravity of style is here necessary. That the guesses of secret causes inducing to the actions be drawn at least from the most probable circumstances, not perverted by the malignity of the author to sinister interpretations, but candidly laid down and left to the judgment of the reader; that nothing of concernment be omitted, but things of trivial moment are still to be neglected as debasing the majesty of the work; that neither partiality nor prejudice appear, but that truth may everywhere be sacred: that a historian should never dare to speak falsely, or fear to speak that which is true; that he neither incline to superstition, in giving too much credit to oracles, prophecies, divinations, and prodigies, nor to irreligion in disclaiming the Almighty Providence; but where general opinion hath prevailed of any miraculous accident or portent, he ought to relate it as such, without imposing his opinion on our belief. Biography, or the history of particular men's lives, comes next to be considered, which, in dignity, is inferior to the other two, as being more confined in action, and treating of wars and councils, and all other public affairs of nations, only as they relate to him whose life is written, or as his fortunes have a particular dependence on them or conneotion to them. All things here are circumscribed and driven to a point, so as to terminate in one; consequently if the action or counsel were managed by colleagues, some part of it must be either lame or wanting, except it be supplied by the excursion of the writer. Herein likewise must be less of variety for the same reason, because the fortunes and actions of one man are related, not those of many. Yet, though we allow, for the reasons above alleged, that this kind of writing is in dignity inferior to history and annals, in pleasure and instruction it equals, or even excels, both of them. It is not only commended by ancient practice to celebrate the memory of great and worthy men as the best thanks which posterity can pay them, but also the examples of virtue are of more vigour when they are thus contracted into individuals. The perfection of the work, in truth, and the benefit arising from it, are both more absolute in biography than in history. All history is only the precepts of moral philosophy reduced into examples. Moral philosophy is divided into two parts-ethics and politics. The first instructs us in our private offices of virtue; the second in those which relate to the management of the Commonwealth. Both of these teach by argumentation and reasoning, which rush, as it were, into the mind, and possess it with violence; but history rather allures than forces us to virtue. There is nothing of the tyrant in example; but it gently glides into us, is easy and pleasant in its passage, and, in one word, reduces into practice our speculative notions. Therefore, the more powerful the examples are they are the more useful also, and by being more known they are more powerful. Biography, or the history of particular lives, though circumscribed in the subject, is yet more extensive in style than the other two; for it not only comprehends them both, but has somewhat superadded, which neither of them have. The style of it is various, according to the occasion. There are proper places in it for the plainness and nakedness of narration, which is ascribed to annals; there is also |